Monarda plant named ‘Electric Neon Purple’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental cultivar of hybrid ornamental Bee Balm plant named  Monarda  ‘Electric Neon Purple’ with lanceolate, dark-green, moderately-glossy, powdery mildew-tolerant foliage and flower heads of bright fuchsia-purple flowers for about five weeks. The plant habit is compact and winter-hardy, useful in the landscape as a specimen, en masse, or as a containerized plant.

Botanical designation and cultivar denomination:

Botanical classification: Monarda hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Electric Neon Purple’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(B)(6)

The first public disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form of a sale, was made by Walters Gardens, Inc. on May 3, 2021 in a sale to Chrissy's Greenhouse, North Coast Perennials and Sunbeam Gardens. Prior to that, on Feb. 1, 2021 the claimed plant was displayed with a non-enabling photograph and brief description in a website operated by Walters Gardens, Inc., and on May 21, 2021 as a non-enabling photograph and brief description in the “Walters Gardens 2021-2022 Catalog” by Walters Gardens, Inc., who obtained the plant and all information relating thereto, from the inventor. No plants of Monarda ‘Electric Neon Purple’ have been sold, in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made more than one year prior the filing date of this application, and such sale or disclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar of Bee Balm, botanically known as Monarda ‘Electric Neon Purple’, and hereinafter also referred to solely by the cultivar ‘Electric Neon Purple’ or the “new plant.” Monarda ‘Electric Neon Purple’ was the result of a controlled pollination in the summer on Jun. 19, 2015, in the research area at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA. The female parent is ‘Bubblegum Blast’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,497 and the specific male parent is a proprietary, unnamed, unreleased hybrid known only as “red pringlei sdlg” (not patented). The new plant was separated out for further evaluation in the summer of 2017 in the full sun trial gardens of the same nursery and assigned the breeder code 15-5-1. The new plant is the result of a planned breeding program of the inventor to produce new colors of flowers with superior mildew resistance, and improved compact habit. The new plant has been asexually propagated since 2017 by division and by basal stem cuttings at the same nursery in the greenhouses in Zeeland, Mich., and the subsequent generations of asexually propagated plants found to be stable and identical to the original selection.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Monarda ‘Electric Neon Purple’ is unique from its parents and all other Bee Balm plants known to the inventor. The nearest comparison cultivars known to the inventor are: ‘Pardon My Lavender’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,770, ‘Electric Neon Pink’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,347, ‘Pardon My Lavender II’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 34,131, and ‘Lilac Lollipop’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,571.

‘Pardon My Lavender’ has less vigor and powdery mildew resistance and lavender-pink flowers and the habit is slightly smaller and compact. ‘Electric Neon Pink’ has similar size and habit, but the flowers are intense neon-pink color with darker purple spots on the lower labium. ‘Pardon My Lavender II’ has a smaller habit and the flowers are lavender-purple. ‘Lilac Lollipop’ is comparable in habit, but the flowers are lavender-lilac colored.

The female parent differs with a hot pink flower color. The male parent has a taller habit and the flowers are more reddish and the leaves are smaller and narrower with red floral bracts and tends to develop a reddish fall color, and is less winter hardy and weaker-stemmed and more taxed in habit.

Monarda ‘Electric Neon Purple’ is distinct from all Bee Balm plants known to the inventor. The following are traits of the new plant that in combination distinguish it from all other Bee Balm known to the inventor:

-   -   1. Deep-green, moderately-glossy, powdery mildew-tolerant         foliage;     -   2. Medium, dense, clumping, upright mound that is winter-hardy         habit;     -   3. Flowers are bright fuchsia-purple and remain effective for         about a five-week-long period beginning late spring;     -   4. Bracts subtending inflorescences with deep reddish and wine         coloration;     -   5. Flowering in dense verticils.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of Monarda ‘Electric Neon Purple’ and the overall appearance of the plant at three-years-old in the full sun display garden of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the flower of the new plant.

FIG. 2 shows the habit of the new plant in full flower.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. Monarda ‘Electric Neon Purple’ has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are based on two-year-old plants grown in a trial garden and a partially shaded greenhouse at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Monarda hybrid; -   Parentage: The female (seed) parent is ‘Bubblegum Blast’, an     unreleased proprietary hybrid; the male (pollen) parent is known     only as “red pringlei sdlg”; -   Plant habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial, dense, upright mound,     producing multiple stems spreading by short rhizomes near the base     of the stems; foliage up to 40.0 cm tall, flowering to 60 cm tall     and 76 cm wide; flowering begins early summer in Michigan and     continuing for about 5 weeks; -   Propagation: Stem cuttings; -   Time to produce finished crop in 3.8-liter pots: About 7 to 9 weeks;     moderate rate of growth; -   Root: Fine, fibrous and freely branching; color creamy white to tan     depending on soil type; -   Leaves: Simple; lanceolate; opposite; margin serrated and     micro-ciliolate; puberulent above and below; moderately lustrous     adaxial, abaxial matte in maturity to slightly lustrous when     expanding; narrowly acute apex; cordate to rounded base; to about     7.5 cm long and 3.8 cm wide, average about 6.0 cm long and 2.6 cm     wide near base of leaf; -   Leaf color: Young expanding leaves adaxial between RHS 143A and RHS     146B with light overtone of nearest RHS 187A, abaxial nearest RHS     146B without obvious anthocyanin pigmentation; older leaves adaxial     nearest RHS 139A with portions high in anthocyanins nearest RHS     187A, abaxial nearest RHS 137B with portions high in anthocyanins     nearest RHS 187B; Foliage fragrance: pleasant lemony-herbal; -   Veins: Pinnate; glabrous and slightly sunken adaxial,     micro-pubescent and costate abaxial; -   Vein color: Adaxial midrib nearest RHS 146C and lateral pinnate     veins and secondary veins between RHS 145A and RHS 146D; abaxial     midrib nearest RHS 146D with frequent moderate to weak anthocyanin     blush of nearest RHS 187B and with lateral pinnate veins and     secondary veins nearest RHS 146B without obvious anthocyanin blush; -   Petiole: Micro-puberulent and slightly concaved adaxial; puberulent     and convex abaxial; ciliolate margin; to about 6.0 mm long and 2.0     mm across at base; -   Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS N186C, abaxial nearest RHS 146D     with a slight to strong blush of nearest RHS N186C in high light     exposure; -   Stems: Quadrangular; puberulent; about 5.0 mm across at base; about     50 per plant; naturally branched at upper and lower nodes; average     4.2 cm between nodes greater distally; 9 to 12 nodes per stern;     average length about 52 cm; -   Stem color: Nearest RHS 146C with heavy anthocyanin expression in     high light nearest RHS 187A; nodes same color as surrounding stem; -   Flowers: Single; bilabiate flowers arranged in mostly terminal     verticils forming globular head about 84.0 mm across and 39.0 mm     tall, opening from the center and progressing outwardly and down;     attitude outwardly to upwardly; individual flowers to about 38.0 mm     long to exserted stigma, 20.0 mm tall and about 5.5 mm across;     individual flowers persisting about 5 days in Michigan; numerous,     about 200 flowers per terminal head, fewer per axillary head; 105     inflorescences with open flowers at one time; -   Flower fragrance: Sweetly lemony; -   Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly oblanceolate,     arcuate downward; about 20.0 mm long and 2.0 mm across and 6.0 mm     tall; -   Bud color: Basal 3.0 mm between RHS157D and RHS NN155B, ventral and     dorsal middle portion nearest RHS N80A, distal ventral and dorsal     region nearest RHS 83A; -   Petals: Bilabiate; arcuate downward; basal 20.0 mm fused into tube;     split in two in the distal 16.0 mm; abaxial glandular to puberulent,     adaxial glabrous in free portion and micro-puberulent in corolla     tube; self-cleaning; -   Upper labium: Rolled or folded in free portion, about 13.0 mm long     from fusion to emarginate apex with notch about 0.5 mm deep; 2.0 mm     tall, 2.0 mm across at base, about 4.0 mm across in middle when     flattened; -   Lower labium: About 16.0 mm long from fusion to apex, apex     comprising three lobes including two side lobes about 1.0 mm long     and 2.0 mm across with rounded apex, center lobe about 5.0 mm long     with emarginate apex in the distal 1.0 mm; -   Petal color: Upper labium adaxial surface between RHS N80B and RHS     72B, upper labium abaxial surface between RHS N80A and RHS 72A;     lower labium adaxial between RHS N80B and RHS 72B with two lighter     longitudinal lines about 1.0 mm wide nearest RHS N75B running on     each side of the longitudinal center from fusion point to proximal     center lobe, distal apex of center lobe nearest RHS N75C, abaxial     surface between RHS N80A and RHS 72A; corolla tube adaxial basal 5.0     mm nearest RHS NN155D and distally between RHS N77D and RHS 77C with     veins nearest RHS 76C, abaxial proximal 5.0 mm nearest RHS NN155C     and distally between RHS 70A and RHS 72A; -   Androecium: Two; adnate inner corolla tube in basal portion;     -   -   Filaments.—Two; curved downward; adnate the inner corolla             tube in the basal 18.0 mm and free in the distal 16.0 mm;             about 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 76C in basal adnate             portion and nearest RHS 70B in free portion.         -   Anther.—Oblong elliptic; dorsifixed; longitudinal; two,             fused laterally; 2.0 mm long by 1.0 mm wide; dorsal color             nearest RHS N79B and ventral suture color nearest RHS N186B.         -   Pollen.—Abundant, elliptic to globose, less than 0.1 mm;             color nearest RHS 11B. -   Gynoecium: One; superior; about 34.0 mm long; -   Pistil: One per flower; protruding about 5.0 mm beyond upper labium     when mature; -   Style: Cylindrical; glabrous; about 32.0 mm long and about 0.5 mm     diameter; arcuate along upper labium; color between RHS 79D and RHS     72B in distal 10.0 mm, transitioning to nearest RHS NN155D in basal     5.0 mm portion; -   Stigma: Unevenly bifid in the distal 1.0 mm w79 64D; -   Ovary: Conical; about 1.0 mm tall by 0.75 mm diameter; color nearest     RHS 145D; -   Calyx: Tubular to campanulate; consisting of five fused sepals;     about 9.0 mm long and 3.0 mm diameter at apex; -   Sepals: Five; acute apex; basal 7.5 mm fused forming calyx tube,     free in distal 1.5 mm; margin micro-serrulate; about 9.0 mm long and     1.0 mm across at fusion; glabrous abaxial, glabrous adaxial;     persistent; -   Sepal color: Adaxial and abaxial basal 1.0 mm nearest RHS 161D,     middle adaxial portion nearest RHS 194A with veins nearest RHS N86B,     free portion adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS N186B, abaxial middle     potion nearest RHS N186C with veins nearest RHS N186B; -   Foliar bracts: Typically, one set of five to seven large bracts on     the outside per inflorescence, and one set of six smaller bracts in     the middle, and one set of about 24 to 30 smaller narrow bracts on     the inside directly below each inflorescence; outer bracts     lanceolate with acute apex and attenuate sessile base,     micro-ciliolate margin, glabrous adaxial, puberulent abaxial, flat     to coarsely wavy, matte adaxial and abaxial, lower bract to 45 mm     long and 16 mm wide in middle; middle six bracts linear with     narrowly acute apex and truncate base, ciliolate margin, glabrous     adaxial and micro-puberulent abaxial, to about 20 mm long and 5 mm     across near middle; innermost bracts linear, narrowly acute apex and     truncate base, ciliolate margin, adaxial and abaxial glabrous, to     about 15 mm long and 2.5 mm across at base; -   Foliar bract color: Lower bracts adaxial between RHS 187A and RHS     N186B distally transitioning to nearest RHS 139A in middle and RHS     145B at base, midrib nearest RHS 186A, color abaxial nearest RHS     138B, midrib nearest RHS 145C with variable blush of nearest RHS     187B; middle six bracts adaxial distal nearest RHS 187A, middle     portion nearest RHS 137B with midrib nearest RHS 186A and base     nearest RHS 145D, abaxial color nearest 146C in middle with apex     strongly blushed with RHS 187A and base nearest RHS 145D; innermost     bracts variable, distally adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 187B and     proximally adaxial and abaxial transitioning to nearest RHS 145D at     base; -   Peduncle: Pubescent, stiff, strong, erect, quadrangular; to about     3.0 mm across and average 52 mm long above last node; about 50 per     plant; naturally branched at nodes; -   Peduncle color: Variable between RHS 146C in more shaded location     and RHS 187A with high light exposure; -   Pedicel: About 1.0 mm long and 0.8 mm diameter; color nearest RHS     145B; -   Fruit: Single, glabrous, lustrous, ellipsoidal nutlet; about 1.2 mm     long and 0.7 mm wide; color nearest RHS 200C; -   Hardiness: The new plant grows best with plenty of moisture and     adequate drainage; hardy to at least from USDA zone 4 through 8. -   Disease and pest resistance: Demonstrated greater than average     powdery mildew Neoerysiphe galeopsidis (formerly Erysiphe     chicoracearum) tolerance in side-by-side comparison with other     Monarda. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of hybrid ornamental Bee Balm, Monarda plant named ‘Electric Neon Purple’, as herein described and illustrated. 